Ain't No Time and Space Long Enough
by Sweetwater Gal
Summary: Remember the Titans fanfic. Fluff piece, but a good fluff piece, I guess... I was bored! Anyway, What happens when two teens from 2001 fall into a time hole back to 1971 in Virginia? Read to find out.
1. The unsuspecting quantum leapers

Disclaimer: Okay, okay, okay. Let me just say that girl don't own no Titan player. Girl also don't own no Ryan Hurst who played Gerry Bertier (though I wished I did =) ) This is a fluff piece if I ever wrote one. Just got bored, saw the movie two times, loved it and as I said was bored. If I insult anyone in anyway because of what kind of story I wrote, let me apologize before hand for wasting your time… but I love this thing non the less! Please R&R and if ya hate it, don't resort to flame tactics please. If ya hafta do it, do it, but in good taste. Again, I wrote this 'cause I was bored and I admit it's a fluff piece, so I'm not a total space cadet. Boy I've got so much humility don't I? Anyway, enough yakking ears off and on to the story…  
  
AIN'T NO TIME AND SPACE LONG ENOUGH  
  
TIME: Present Day 2001  
PLACE: Maui, Hawaii  
  
"C'mon, Alex! I don't want to miss the sale!" A girl wearing a red baby tee with black surf shorts called out to her best friend.   
  
"I'm coming! Keep your damn shirt on!" Her friend, sixteen year old, Alexia Crowe replied.   
  
Janice Gundaker, also sixteen, checked her watch anxiously. "I'm giving ya 'til the count of ten, Al. If your ass ain't down here by then, I am so leavin' you!" She threatened, gazing up at the two stories house. Her eyes on the second story window, "Nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two…"  
  
"Shit! Hold your horses!" Emerging from the first level door way, Alexia jumped outside. She smoothed out her baby blue mid-drift tee, dusting off her tight black jeans. Her onyx eyes flashing at her friend, annoyed as hell. The fair tanned, black hair, vixen made her way to the car, eyes fixated evilly at her pal.   
  
"Damn you." She cursed.   
  
Janice hopped into the passenger's side of Alexia's car, chuckling at her buddy. Alexia also jumped into the car, the driver's seat, side-glaring at Janice.  
  
"Bitch." Alexia cursed again, causing Janice to mock flinch.  
  
"Oh…" She replied sarcastically, her brown eyes dancing with amusement, "You so hurt my feelings."  
  
"Girl, this is my car, I'm drivin', I invited you to the mall, and yet you have the audacity to order me around?!" She shook her head as she started the engine. "There is something so wrong with that picture."  
  
"Look out Maui! Local girl getting' all pissy and trigger-driver happy!" Janice cried jokingly. She glanced at her friend, noting her temper.   
  
As Alexia made her way out of the drive way and onto the Lahaina road, "Don't you dare start with me, child."   
  
Janice sighed, running a hand through her long auburn hair. The fair skinned, yet evenly tanned, teenager chuckled at her best friend's attitude problem. "Oh my Lord, woman. You has got to learn to control that temper of yours! It ain't funny. You always take the fun out of getting teased every time you lose your temper."  
  
With her livid eyes on the road, "Oh, and you don't?"  
  
Cool as a cucumber, with her arms crossed, "Nope."  
  
"Liar!" Alexia hissed, glaring more daggers at her when they stopped at their first red light, right at the Lahainaluna road intersection.  
  
Janice smirked, opened her mouth as if to say something, then shut her mouth and thought better of it. Instead, she decided to just give Alex a silent response. She knew that when tempted, her pal could explode like the volcano on the Big Island. It usually wasn't pretty, because Jan would end up getting seriously burned in the end. It would be best for the both of them, not to mention for the sake of their unusually strong friendship that she let Alexia cool off.  
  
The two amigos remained in quiet solitude half way through the journey to the other side of the island.   
  
Meanwhile…  
  
TIME: September 1971  
PLACE: Alexandria, Virginia  
  
He just stared at the object with unusual fascination. At first he just held it in his two hands, handling it with fragile care. Now the leather object began to jump from palm to palm, his eyes carefully watching the silent contact sport. Unaware of the looks that his teammates began to send to him.   
  
His friends had observed his little retreat into solitude, respecting it in all its glory due to the certain situation behind it… but now it was beginning to become ridiculous.  
  
"Gerry? Hey, Bertier!" His soul brother, Julius Campbell, called out. He waved his hand in front of Gerry's face, "Hello? Anyone in there?" He chuckled.  
  
It took a millisecond for Gerry to react. "Wha-wha-what?!" He grasped the football with one hand, knocking away Julius' hand with the other. "Shoot, get that hand of yours out of my face!"   
  
"Well… didn't think no one was home." He smirked, casting a look back to a couple of their Titan teammates in the locker room.   
  
"Well, I'm here, aren't I?" Gerry replied as he began to play with the football again in the same manner.  
  
It was the first day of the academic year for T.C. Williams High School. Not to mention the very first day that this infamous Titans school began integrating African-Americans into its educational system. The tension was high to say the least. Luckily, or so some thought, that the conflict didn't have some affect on its just integrated football players.   
  
Amazingly enough, upon the return of the team's summer training camp, much of the players were getting along quite fine. In the beginning, the hostility was extremely thick between the black and white players. When time passed, and most was said and done, most of the players formed friendships between both races. There was an especially unique bond that began to form between the white captain, Gerry Bertier, and his black opponent, Julius Campbell.  
  
Now camp was over, the fun quickly fading into the past, as the team received a bitter taste of reality, back in their hometown of Alexandria, Virginia.  
  
Bertier's first dosage of the real world began when his girlfriend, Emma Hoyt, in her utter disbelief, ignored Julius' greeting after Gerry attempted a friendly introduction.  
  
"You still ticked off about what happened with Emma, aren't ya?" Julius asked, watching the ball continue to jump from hand to hand.   
  
Before Gerry could respond, Petey Jones, another silent bystander, practically slammed the man down when he jumped to grab the football out of his hands. "Shit, man. Give me that damn thing!" Cradling it within his own hands, "Ain't gonna let you drive us stir crazy watchin' you toss that ball back and forth like that!"  
  
"Amen to that, bro." Alan Bosley replied. He held out his hands, "Hey, Petey, toss it over here."  
  
As the players began to throw the football from one player to the next, Gerry silently slipped out of the locker room. It was after practice anyway, not like Coach Boone would mind if Gerry was the first one to leave.  
  
Gerry needed to think. Thanks in due to Emma's weird reaction to Julius, Bertier was left confused most of the day. Luckily, he hadn't let what happened in the morning affect his afternoon practice… because Lord only knows that he just so needed Coach Herman to jump down his throat.  
  
What Gerry needed was a reassurance that things were going to at least lighten up. He was getting grief at home from his mother, who was just as perplexed and bemused with the whole racial integration. His girlfriend blamed the high tension on both races, but seemed less compassionate non-the-less on the blacks. He wasn't even going to go there with everyone else in this little town of his.  
  
From the view at his advantage point, he glanced at the Titan stadium. A quiet peace seemed to draw him there. Quickly gazing heavenward, he whispered, "Just give me a sign that things will be okay."  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
"What are you doing?"   
  
Janice watched as Alexia reach into the glove compartment of her car. "Al? Uh… you're kind of *driving* right now. If you need to look for something…"  
  
"Got it!" Alexia proclaimed, dishing out a CD. She glanced up at the road, noting that she had yet to gone off it. "Relax, Jan. We're not in the ocean, now are we?"  
  
"That's because we have yet to gone off the cliff! And we are not going to as long as you keep your damn eyes on the road!"   
  
Alexia smirked at her best friend, her onyx eyes dancing with amusement. "Whatever you say, navigator."  
  
Janice sighed, leaning her head back for a moment. Letting Alexia drive to the other side was not good for her blood pressure.  
  
It was officially the same afternoon in which the two teens began their shopping journey. When they arrived at their first destination, Queen Kaahumanu Shopping Center. As soon as Alexia parked the 4-runner, the two decided to cement their argument and let bygones be bygones. Besides, since when do they let their friendship fall apart over some bitter banter? They do that sort of thing everyday! If anything, it would take something as strong as time and space to tear this bond apart.  
  
Now time had passed, all their sisterly bonding and shopping done, and the two teenagers were making their way back to Lahaina. They had not just passed Ma'alae Harbor when the clouds began to overcast and the rain began to fall.  
  
"Shit…" Alexia had cursed silently as soon as she saw the first few droplets of rain. "Mom said that it'd rain. Looks like I should've believed her." She thought it over, then added, "Of course, being a quote-unquote psychic, she also said that she saw me falling for a football player and that ain't happening anytime soon." She smirked.  
  
"Does having a crush on Lahainaluna's new assistant football coach count? What's his name? Ryan H. Smith? Where the 'H' stands for hottie?" Janice teased.   
  
"Shut-up." Alexia growled.  
  
Janice snickered, "My Lord, girl, everyone knows that the only reason why you went out for team manager with Nalani guys is due to the fact that you had fallen head over heels for the hot assistant couch from California."  
  
"Do the words 'shut-up' mean anything to you?"  
  
"Not in my dictionary, my friend." Janice replied. "And you would've gotten the job… if you hadn't dropped that water cooler on the head coach's foot!"   
  
"Well… it wasn't my fault!" Alexia defended herself. "If Ryan hadn't smiled at me and offered to help carry the cooler for me…"  
  
"Well you should have let him! If it wasn't for your damn pride, you wouldn't have felt the need to walk backwards watching him and then knocking the coach, sending him to turn around and having to watch you accidentally drop the cooler on his toe!"  
  
"See! The key word was 'accidentally', okay? It was purely by accident. How was I to know that it would get me fired?"   
  
Janice held her mouth, not daring to speak another word about the incident. She, instead, watched her friend pop in the CD she was looking for. "What are you playing?"  
  
"Just a mix my brother made for me." She replied.  
  
The faint tune of a familiar sound fell into place, causing a small grin to emerge from Janice's face.   
  
*Listen baby…*  
  
"Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough baby…" Alexia sang along.  
  
Janice chuckled as she watched Alexia began to sing. She knew that the girl had a soft spot for the oldies like this one. As Alexia sang, and thank the big G all mighty that the girl had a great singing voice, Janice decided to just watch the world outside of Alexia's car.   
  
The young woman watched as the rain fell, and the clouds began to darken the late afternoon sky. It was troubling at first, taking into the consideration that hurricane season had yet to begin for them.   
  
A few minutes had passed in considerate silence for the two friends. Janice was content with Alexia's singing voice, for most of her attention was on the road and the bleak weather. By now, her best friend had moved on to singing Peter Cetera's song "Glory of Love", which was on the movie Karate Kid II.   
  
"Like a knight in shining armor, from a long time ago. Just in time I will save the day, take you to my castle far away…" Alexia began to bob her head to the guitar solo. "Man, Janice! Don't you just totally love this part? Shit, it's awesome extreme!"  
  
"Uh, Al…" Janice began to have this uneasy feeling as she spied the distant tunnel. "I really think you should be paying a lot of attention to the road, and not solely on the song."  
  
Alexia scoffed, "Hey, you've seen me drive with music before, Jan."  
  
"Yeah, and I'm still ever so grateful that I've survived all encounters!"  
  
Alexia turned down the volume a bit, taking note of her pal's tense behavior. Mumbling an apology, she kept her focus on the road.   
  
For Janice, she was partly relieved that Alexia decided to take driving a bit more seriously… unfortunately, her uneasiness still wouldn't die.   
  
As they came upon the tunnel, they were unaware of the clouds forming just outside on the opposite end. Just when they entered the tunnel, a blinding flash temporarily entered the channel, causing a weird time spiral to open.  
  
The time spiral swallowed Alexia's car, with passengers and all, and quickly closed up before it could engulf anything else.  
  
============================================================================================================================================  



	2. The arrival

TIME: September 1971  
PLACE: Alexandria, Virginia  
  
"Holy shit! Where the hell are we?"   
  
Janice winced, her head throbbing at the sound of her friend's voice. If anything, she could always count on Alexia to verbally spat out things that needs to be said… as colorful as her language is at least.  
  
Since the flash, things have been a bit hazy for the two girls. As soon as Alexia opened her eyes, she took note of the daylight, and the weird location they were parked in. Her car was parked outside of some football stadium that was not the War Memorial. In fact, from her vast observance, she knew that she and Toto wasn't in Kansas any more.  
  
"What the F had just happened?" She cried.  
  
Janice winced yet again, "I'm so glad that you've trained yourself in refraining the f-word, Al."  
  
"But you still know what the F I mean when I say that letter."  
  
"Unfortunately." Janice mumbled, rubbing her temples. Sighing, now taking real notice of their surroundings, "Now, let me just rephrase what you said in a more 'Disney' version, okay? Where are we? What just happened?"  
  
"Hell if I know." Alexia shrugged. She grasped her keys that were still in the ignition, turning them slowly, "I will be so pissed if you don't work." She mumbled to the automobile.  
  
When it started itself up, Alexia gazed heavenward, "Oh God all mighty! Thank Him so for the engine works!" Her eyes were sparkling, causing Janice to laugh despite the situation.  
  
"Y'know, Al, I think that we're not on Maui anymore." Janice said, earning herself a look from Alexia.  
  
"Duh, you think?" The local girl remarked. She sighed, gazed outside once more, shut the engine, and then opened the driver-side door.  
  
"Alex? Where you going?"  
  
Outside of the car, "Gonna check out behind enemy territory."  
  
Janice jumped out, startled by Alexia's determination (as per usual). "What?!"  
  
Alexia breathed in the air, "Yep, ain't no tropical atmosphere I'm breathing in." She glanced at her watch, and froze. "Holy shit… my watch!"  
  
Janice glanced over at Alexia's timepiece, "So?"  
  
"So?! So it stopped!" She cursed the sky as she quickly removed the watch off her wrist. "Damnit to hell!" Throwing it in the backseat of the car, "This should teach me a lesson on why I should throw away any gifts I receive from my cheating ex. That moron probably put a curse on that worthless crap."  
  
"Girl, that language of yours is getting too colorful for my virgin ears!" Janice cried, becoming more annoyed by Alexia's ranting. Janice gazed down at her watch, and also froze in step. "Oh my gosh… my watch stopped too!" She held it up to Alexia.  
  
Alexia snickered, "Did that dumbass ex of yours, Mitch, give that to you?"  
  
Getting defensive, "No!" She slowly removed it from her wrist, "My dad gave it to me…"  
  
"Before he ran off with that slut secretary of his, leaving you, your siblings, and mother to fend for yourselves. Shit, gotta admire that big brother of yours for having to give up football just so that he could get a job to help support you guys." Alexia suddenly stopped short, noticing that she was threading on sore grounds. Looking at her friend, sincerely, "I'm sorry, Jan. Didn't mean to shoot off my mouth like that. Force of habit."  
  
Following Alexia's suite, tossing it into the backseat, "Yeah, well… you always tend to speak the sad truth. Despite sensitive ears."  
  
The girls fell into another silence, once again taking in their new environment. It was Alexia, as usual, who spoke up first. "Why do I have this strange feeling that we're not exactly in our time either?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Alexia looked around, "I mean, why do I feel like I'm in a Twilight Zone episode? Like we fell through a time hole and landed someplace in the past?" Thinking quickly, she got into her car, turned it on, and began searching through the radio waves.  
  
"Alex?" Janice began, but the girl hushed her up.  
  
"Hush, Jan! Listen!"  
  
"Okay folks, it's the four o'clock hour on this long September afternoon in Alexandria. Looks like the heat is beginning to cool down since the police disbanded the mob that had formed this morning outside of T.C. Williams High School. Since this whole integration business went down, people have been going a bit stir crazy to say the least. When we come back, we're going to try to play some music that will hopefully cool down this town."  
  
Alexia froze on the dial, her eyes slowly meeting Janice's. "Oh my God! Janice!"  
  
"No." Janice shook her head, refusing to believe the apparent idea forming in Alexia's twisted imagination. "No… no… NO! Don't you dare, Alex!"  
  
"There's, like, only one town that I know called Alexandria…" Her eyes were dancing, her sense of adventure growing. "And as far as that announcement goes, we're talking the decade of school integration! Girl!" She jumped out of the car, her eyes shining, "We landed in a Disney movie!"  
  
"Alexia! Get real!" Janice cried, totally in Scully-mode. "We are not in Alexandria, Virginia. We probably got detoured on some road or something."  
  
"Hello… Maui is an island surrounded by a body of water. If we were to get detoured from the tunnel, we would be swimming with the fishes!"  
  
"Well…" Janice slowly considered, "What if this is a dream?"  
  
"That we're both sharing?" Alexia raised her eyebrow. She then walked over to Janice, and pinched her on the arm.  
  
"Ouch! What the hell was that for?!" She winced, rubbing her arm.  
  
"If this was a dream, you would've woken up by that pinch. We can't feel pain in our dreams!"  
  
"Well that doesn't stop me from killing you in most of my dreams!" Janice came back.  
  
"Janice, this is so Remember the Titans!" Alexia proclaimed excitedly. Her gaze made its way to the stadium, apparent awe in her voice. "Look at that. This was the stadium in which the Titans played all of their 1971 undefeated games in. Can you believe that we are actually experiencing history in the making?"  
  
"Alex… get a hold of reality!" Janice went up to her friend, practically shaking her. "We are *not* in Alexandria, Virginia. We are *not* in the year 1971. This is *not* Remember the Titans! That was a Disney movie!"  
  
Alexia shook Janice off, becoming extremely set in her stubborn manner. "We are *so* in Virginia, Janice. Why can't you accept that we must have gone in some sort of time space hole or something?"  
  
"Because those only exist in science-fiction! Not the real world!"  
  
A new thought appeared in Alexia's head as her focus on the stadium became more concrete. Smiling, "I'm gonna check out the stadium from the inside!"  
  
"What?!" Janice tried to grab Alexia, but was shoved aside. She groaned out loud, "Oh my God! That girl is as stubborn as a bitch!"  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
Alexia stared in wonder at the field before her. She couldn't wipe away the smile on her face, or the excitement in her soul. This is so awesome, she thought to herself. Here I am, sitting in the stands in the stadium in which the Titans made history!  
  
"I hate you sometimes."   
  
She turned around, beaming at her childhood friend as she made her way up the steps. "No you don't. You admire my courage."  
  
"Yes, I do." Janice sat herself down next to Alexia, "But I'm mostly talking about your damn stubbornness to believe in reality!"  
  
"How can you not believe that this is real?" She asked, indicating to the clean-cut football field.  
  
"Because it isn't, Al. You're asking me to believe that we went back in time. That we somehow leaped into a Disney movie? Hell, I know you'd get your damn ass kicked out of such a film in no time due to that profanity of yours."  
  
"This is no Disney film, Jan. This is history!" Alexia proclaimed, arms outstretched, standing up and over the field. She quickly turned around, mischief in her eyes.  
  
"Uh-oh." Janice sighed, knowing that look all too often.  
  
"I feel a song coming up!" Alexia cried, jumping down a couple of aisles.   
  
"Alex… don't." Janice moaned.  
  
"Listen baby…"  
  
"Alexia…"  
  
"Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough baby…" Alexia smiled. She was about to sing the next lines when…  
  
"If you need me call me, no matter where you are, no matter how far…"  
  
============================================================================================================================================  



	3. When Harry met Sally... uh, my bad, WHEN...

He watched with amusement as the young dark hair woman spun around to face him. She was shock at first by his sudden appearance, but then a playful twinkle appeared in her eyes. "Don't worry baby…" She added as she walked her way towards him.  
  
"Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry, you don't have to worry…" He continued before they joined together to sing the famous chorus.  
  
" 'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough/ ain't no valley low enough/ ain't no river wide enough/ to keep me from getting to you, babe…"  
  
Gerry Bertier beamed at her as she began to laugh.   
  
"Wow, quite a singer." She complimented to him. Her petite frame faced the young man, almost flirting with him. "I didn't know jocks could sing."  
  
"It's a hidden talent we have." He flirted right back. He paused for a moment, blown away by how beautiful this girl was, not to mention just how stunned that he was flirting right back.   
  
"Amongst other things." She winked.  
  
Gerry stared at her shocked to say the least. He then began to relax as he saw her laughing at him. "What? What's so funny?"  
  
"You are, you big lug!" She playfully hit him on the arm, "You should've seen yourself a moment ago! Total picture perfect op!"  
  
He looked her over, smiling, "You called me a big lug?"  
  
"Yeah? So?" She grinned, inching her way closer to him.  
  
Looking down at this petite beauty, "What's your name?"  
  
"Alexia. You?" She held out her hand to him. As he took it, she felt a lightning flash jolt pulse through her body at first contact. She looked up at him, noticing that he too must have felt it.  
  
Grinning shyly at her, "Gerry. The name's Gerry."  
  
Realization knocked Alexia upside her head. "Gerry Bertier? *The* Gerry Bertier?" She asked in awe. No wonder he looked so familiar!  
  
"Yes…" He said slowly. A bit confused, "How did you know my name?"  
  
Quickly recovering, "Oh… well, I heard a lot about you. All-Star material and all that. You're great on the football field… at least that's what I heard."   
  
"Well, you see, that's not fair." He teased, still holding her hand. Both teens looked down at their grasp, and slowly released it. His eyes still sparkling, "You know a lot about me, but I don't know squat about you."  
  
Alexia gulped, already regretting this next comment out of her mouth, "Also heard that you got yourself a girlfriend."  
  
His eyes slightly dimmed at the mention of his girlfriend. He closed his eyes, sighed, and then opened them up again to look at this beauty's expecting face.   
  
Gerry feigned a chuckle, "Yeah… I do have a girlfriend." He rubbed the back of his neck, feigning a small cough.   
  
Wanting to see him smile at her again, Alexia replied quickly, "But that doesn't mean we can't get to know each other, Gerry Bertier. I mean, we can be friends, right? I'm not exactly leaving this town anytime soon."   
  
He smiled at that idea, his eyes finding that shine again. "I would really like that, Lexi." He paused, "Can I call you Lexi?"  
  
She laughed, "That's cute! I like that." Alexia was about to add something else when she heard someone coughing in the background. Turning around, she saw her friend slowly get up and make her way towards them.  
  
"Oh, my bad." She said. Turning to Gerry, "Gerry, this is my best friend, Janice." To Janice, "Jan, this is Gerry."  
  
Like a gentleman, Gerry held out his hand, "Nice to meet you, Janice."  
  
"Nice to meet you too, Gerry." Janice replied. She tried to hide back a smirk, but this seemed too perfect! Here she was, actually witnessing her best friend practically beginning to fall for a football player. Good-bye Ryan H. Smith… hello Gerry Bertier!  
  
"What? What's so funny?" Gerry asked, noticing Janice's smirk.  
  
"Oh… nothing. Just thinking that you look familiar, is all." She replied. To Alexia, "I'll wait for you in the car, *Lexi*." She snickered, causing Alexia to emit a low growl.  
  
When Janice left, Alexia turned to face Gerry. Feigning a laugh, "See, Janice acts that way sometimes. You know, smirking and laughing at things that might not exist." She dropped her voice, leaning in closer to Gerry, "No one told her that when she was just a newborn, she got dropped on the head."  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
Julius was extremely concerned about his friend. As soon as he could, he managed to stray away from Petey guys so that he could search out Gerry.  
  
He noticed that Gerry's car was parked outside of the stadium… so it didn't take a genius to figure out that Gerry was probably inside.   
  
"Hey, Julius!"   
  
Julius spun around and sighed. "What are you guys doing here?"  
  
Alan Bosley, Jerry "Rev" Harris, Lewie Lastik, Blue Stanton, Ronnie "Sunshine" Bass, and Petey Jones made their way up to their teammate.   
  
Smiling, Petey explained, "Hey, man. We're just concerned about our man Gerry."  
  
"And that's why you followed me?" Julius asked, crossing his arms.   
  
"Why else?" Lewie smiled.  
  
"We just figured that you'd take Gerry someplace fun and we didn't miss out." Alan added.  
  
Julius rolled his eyes. He sighed, finally letting up on them. "Whatever. I'm just going to talk to him and that's it." Indicating towards the stadium, "C'mon, he's inside."  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
"So where are you from?" Asked Gerry.   
  
Alexia grinned at him, full mystery in her eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know."   
  
"I'm asking, aren't I?" He replied, finding himself extremely enjoying her company. He watched as this playful girl began to toy with a strand of her short dark hair. He liked the way she bit her lower lip as she was contemplating her answer.   
  
Suddenly, she jumped from her seat next to him. There was mischief in her eyes as she proposed on running out onto the football field.  
  
"What?" He looked at her incredulously, yet with a big grin on his face.  
  
"You heard me, Bertier!" She exclaimed as she raced down the steps, practically skipping.   
  
He, on the other hand, slowly made his way down. Gerry watched this girl closely, admiring her boundless energy.  
  
She then shouted out to him, "You can't catch me!"  
  
"Excuse me?" He called out.  
  
Alexia was already dancing on the sideline. Laughter was in her eyes as she cried, "Bertier is the slowest Titan captain in this whole entire universe! His mommy is quicker than him!"  
  
Gerry stopped, disbelieving those words. He shook his head, yet still smiling at her cunningness. "Oh, no. You just didn't say what I heard you say!"  
  
At right smack in the middle of the field, the young woman looked down for a moment. She then gazed up at him, smirking as she shouted. "Hey Gerry Bertier! I just clocked a *snail* going *three times* your running average!"  
  
He scoffed in disbelief. "What did you say?!"   
  
"You heard me, Gerry! Three times!"  
  
Without even thinking, he bolted down the steps, practically leaping in bounds. As soon as he hit the track surrounding the field, he raced towards the woman, full speed.  
  
When Alexia saw that she had provoked Gerry enough to getting his butt down there, the girl realized that she had signed her definite death sentence with that last statement. Still, it was all in good fun!  
  
She stood in her place for millisecond before she began to run in all sorts of direction… as long as it was *away* from Gerry.  
  
Her laughter could be heard through the whole establishment as she attempted to outrun the young man.  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
"Hey, you guys hear that?" Petey asked, causing the group to cease.   
  
Julius, who was just at the front of the tunnel leading into the open field, stopped and turned to face Petey. "Hear what?"  
  
Everyone halted all noise, enabling them to hear the sound of someone shouting.  
  
"Hey Gerry Bertier! I just clocked a *snail* going *three times* your running average!"  
  
Smirking at that comment, Sunshine said, "Man, hope that guy can run fast once Gerry hears something like that."  
  
"You think?" Blue spoke up, also snickering at that comment like the rest of his teammates.   
  
Julius shook his head, turned and was about to continue his way when he stopped in his steps as soon as he heard Gerry.  
  
"What did you say?!"  
  
"Guys, that was Gerry." Rev said, echoing Julius' thoughts.   
  
"You heard me, Gerry! Three times!"   
  
"And that sounded like a girl!" Exclaimed Alan.   
  
The guys gave each other this look before finally dashing to see what the heck was going on inside that stadium.  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
Alexia was quickly running out of breath. How long could she hold up? She glanced behind her, and smiled. Out on the field, this boy could definitely hold his own!  
  
Finally, she allowed herself to be caught by slowing down her pace. Before things could register for her, she felt strong arms surrounding her petite body, tackling her to the grass.  
  
Both teenagers' laughter rang through out the whole stadium. Gerry got up a bit, practically sitting on Alexia. She could feel his weight on top of her. He smirked down at the girl, "Three times my average speed, huh?"  
  
"Three times." She breathed, trying to catch her breath. Alexia looked up, noticing that he too was catching his breath. Deciding to take advantage of that, she used a wrestling move that her coach taught her.   
  
Gerry never knew what hit him until it was too late. Within a single moment, he found himself laid back on the ground while Alexia straddled to gain top advantage over him. Now she was the one looking down at him victoriously.   
  
Pointing at his chest, "That move won my school the M.I.L. wrestling championship."  
  
"Since when do they let girls wrestle?" He asked. Gerry than decided to open his big mouth and added, "Wait a minute, you're no girl."  
  
Her mouth dropped at that last statement, causing Gerry to laugh wholeheartedly at her. Giving him a good hard slap on the arm, "You big bully!"  
  
"Bully?" He smiled at her, still unable to stop laughing. It's been a while since he had laughed this hard, and had this much fun… especially with a girl. At the mere thought itself, his laughter began to fade. His eyes never left Alexia, taking in everything that amazed him about her.   
  
Alexia knew that this was so tempting. Gerry was the most handsome and sweetest guy that she'll ever meet. Even the way he was looking at her gave her chills. She considered everything right and everything wrong with doing what she was thinking about doing. Surprisingly, Gerry was the one who made the first move.  
  
He placed a hand on her cheek, gently stroking it. Tenderly, he pulled her in for what both would consider as being the most mind-blowing kiss in this lifetime and the next.  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
"Holy shit, that girl moves fast."   
  
The Titan players glanced up above them, noticing a young girl with auburn hair sitting on the stand. Her eyes were intently on the couple kissing on the football field. She averted her eyes for a moment at the football men, giving them a small smile. "Let me guess, you saw everything and you're stunned to say the least?"  
  
"Is she a friend of yours?" Sunshine asked.   
  
"Unfortunately." She sighed. The young woman got up and began to make her way down to join them. "My name's Janice." Indicating to the vixen on top of the team captain. "And that's my best friend, Alexia."  
  
"Well your best friend sure is friendly." Petey smirked, earning himself a glare from Julius. "What?"  
  
"That's just rude, Petey." Blue said for Julius, indicating towards the girl's friend.   
  
Petey glanced at Janice, and then said sheepishly, "Sorry."  
  
"That's okay," Janice smiled, shrugging, "I know that the bitch's friendly… but I've never seen her fall this hard for someone she just met. Figuratively and literally speaking."  
  
Rev raised his eyebrow at Janice, "Did I just hear you call your friend a…"  
  
"A bitch?" Janice smirked. She then noticed the looks she was receiving on their faces. Explaining to them, "It's just a little banter me and my girl have with each other. I snap at her, she gives me snaps. It's a love-hate sort of sisterly friendship." Adding shyly, "I apologize beforehand for any further profanity you might hear from me." Janice turned to the make out session before her. She then also added, "And knowing my compadre, I must apologize for anything that pours out of that foul-mouth of hers. The girl tends to say very *colorful* things."  
  
"Where are you girls from?" Alan asked, taking note from this girl's clothing that they were certainly strangers from another place.   
  
Eyes still looking out, "Hawaii." Janice turned to them, giving them a small smile, "We're just visiting."  
  
"Wow," Lewie breathed. "And I thought California was as far west that people travel from to come to Virginia.  
  
Janice chuckled, shaking a head. "Oh, you have *no idea* just how far we came from."   
  
"Man, if Emma found out about this..." Alan commented, running a hand through his hair.   
  
Janice cupped her hands to her mouth to form a bullhorn, "Give the poor guy some air, Al!"  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
Alexia reluctantly pulled back from Gerry, mumbling a curse. She sighed, recognizing that pesky voice. She rolled off him, lying down to face the sky. She growled out loud, "I'm going to kill that girl."  
  
Gerry laid on his side, his arm holding his head up so that he could get a good view of her. He smiled, running a hand down her cheek. "No you're not."  
  
Sighing again, yet managing a playful smile, "Yeah… death doesn't even deserve her company. Too painful."  
  
He chuckled, eyes smiling. Unable to resist him, Alexia pulled him in for another kiss.  
  
"Hey Bertier! That means you too! Give the poor girl some air!"  
  
This time it was Gerry who reluctantly pulled back. He gazed up behind him and saw his teammates, with Janice, watching him.   
  
"Shit." He cussed to himself. Growling himself, "Gonna kill those guys."  
  
"I am such a bad influence." Alexia shook her head, partly joking to lighten the mood. "Now I've got you cursing and threatening."  
  
Gerry glanced at her, giving her this amused look before standing himself up. Like a gentleman, he held out his hand for her. As he pulled her up, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.   
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
As the two made their way towards their friends, Gerry, without thinking too much, draped his arm around Alexia's waist. Walking to them, Alexia felt a quiet content and triumph as she felt Gerry hold her.  
  
They looked their friends over, noticing their silent stances. Their arms were crossed, expecting an explanation from the two. It was hard for Alexia and Gerry to determine whether they approved or disapproved of their behavior.   
  
Finally, Janice broke the silence with a smirk. "So… looks like tongue hockey ended in a tie."  
  
When Janice said that, the guys couldn't resist not laughing. As far as they were concerned, that was a pretty good comment. And it didn't help Alexia and Gerry's case when both teens began to blush from it.   
  
"Ooh… good one, Janice." Julius snickered. He held his palm out, in which Janice laid some skin. When they did that little exchange, they both noticed that it earned them some ugly looks from their best friends.   
  
Defending Janice and Julius, Rev said, "Aw, c'mon you two. She was just joking."  
  
Not really helping herself, holding a straight face, "Was I?"  
  
"You are so dead." Growled Alexia. She looked up at Gerry with a sweet smile. "Excuse us, Gerry." Turning on daggers to her female associate, "I need to have a little girl talk with my so-called *best friend*." The young woman stalked up to Janice, snatching her arm, and pulling her aside and away from the guys.  
  
When the girls were out of earshot and out of sight, Petey commented, "That Janice is kind of cute."  
  
"Yeah…" Agreed Alan, who thoughtfully added, "I wonder if she's single?"  
  
Both boys stopped short, then glared at each other. Julius noticed the look Alan and Petey were giving each other. He got in between them, hoping to change the topic and ease the tension. "Well, *I* think that Alexia girl is really something."  
  
When he said that, the small group suddenly fell quiet. Julius then added, meeting eyes with Gerry, "Of course, I don't have to tell you that, huh Bertier?"  
  
============================================================================================================================================  



	4. Revelations

"What the hell does that mean? 'Oh, of course you know what I mean, don't you, Crowe?'" Alexia glared at her friend.   
  
"Alex!" Janice cried, insinuating to the guy in question. "Get a taste of *reality* here! For one thing, Gerry has a *girlfriend*!"  
  
Alexia sighed, eyes turned heavenward. She turned her body, not wanting to hear this… but Janice grabbed Alexia by the arm, forcing her to look her way.   
  
"Second, since I have already accepted the fact that we *are* stuck in the past, I want you to consider just how *old* Gerry really is. If you two were to meet in *our time*, he'd be old enough to be your dad!"  
  
"Oh yeah," Alexia couldn't help but reply sarcastically, "He's *so* my daddy."  
  
Janice gasped, then smacked her friend on the arm. "Don't, Al. You are not funny."  
  
Sighing, "I wasn't trying to be, Jan." She looked past Janice, at this guy who had stolen her heart with his smile. With a sincere grin, "I really like him, Janice."  
  
Unable to stay angry with her, Janice nodded understandingly. "I know, Alex. I can see it in your eyes." Yet trying to get through to Alexia, "But you have to accept the reality to this warped adventure we seem to be stuck in." Sadly, "We can't stay here forever. We have to go back home. And that means that nothing can happen between you and Gerry."   
  
"But something already happened, Janice!" Alexia spoke with such light in her voice. "We shared a kiss that spanned time itself!"  
  
"Now you're being a bit dramatic." Janice pointed out. Seriously, "Speaking of time. Did you even consider that maybe that quote-unquote innocent kiss you two shared might have changed history somehow? I mean, you should now all about this whole time travel thing and its rules!"  
  
Crossing her arms stubbornly, "Yeah, I watch Quantum Leap."  
  
"So you know!" Exclaimed Janice as she threw her hands up. "It's dangerous to screw with time! We don't need Gerry all Cupid love struck over you during games! He needs to be straight as an arrow focus on winning. Think of what would happen if they lost even *one* game? Coach Boone loses his job and this town would be taking a step *backwards* from accepting racial equality instead of going *forward*!" She stood back, letting Alexia think about her words. Janice also added dangerously, "And don't get me started on women's lib! If this town gets screwed over on the whole racial business, imagine when it comes to equal rights for women!"  
  
Despite her the seriousness in her friend's rant, Alexia amusingly asked, "Are you done spewing?"  
  
Janice shook her head. "Nope. Just one more thing I have to add."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"If time is screwed with… shit will fly."  
  
Attempting to hid a laugh at her friend's apparent paranoia, "Couldn't have said it better myself."  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
"Oh I doubt that shit will fly, Jul." Gerry commented in disbelief. His arms were crossed as he listened in on his friend's advising words.   
  
"Listen to the man, Gerry." Blue said.   
  
"Yeah, Gerry." Lewie agreed. "When it comes to women fighting over men, it's not a pretty picture."  
  
"Major cat fight, my brother." Said Rev.  
  
"And I'm betting all my money on that Alexia girl." Petey added. He looked over at the two girls still talking, sizing Alexia up. "If she was able to flip you around like that and pin you…"  
  
"She'd have no trouble taking Emma down." Sunshine finished.  
  
"Guys, c'mon now…" Alan came in, his voice defending. He placed a hand on Gerry's shoulder. To Petey and Sunshine, "You sound ridiculous."  
  
"Thank you, Alan." Gerry said, smiling at the fact that he has at least *one* reasonable friend.   
  
"I mean, you guys forgot factoring in the fact that Gerry let himself get *pinned* by Alexia. I mean, wouldn't you?" Alan snickered, causing Gerry to quickly remove Alan's hand.   
  
He practically knocked it aside, growling, "Real funny, Bosley."  
  
"Seriously, Gerry," Julius began, "You have to consider Emma's feelings. I mean, what would happen if she found out that you kissed another girl, practically made out with her, while she was still considered as your 'girlfriend'? It's not good, man."  
  
"Ah man," He said, sitting himself down to think things through. Before Alexia, the only girl that mattered to him was Emma. Lord only knows that, despite his growing feelings to Lexi, he still loves her.   
  
"What is it about Alexia that makes her so special, Bertier?" Asked Lewie.  
  
Julius added, "Last we saw you, you were so out of it over Emma. You were so concerned about her that you almost risked an ass kicking from Boone at practice."  
  
"So tell us," Lewie asked again, "What makes her so worth it that you risk everything you have with Emma?"  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
"You're not sure if you want to risk it, huh, Al?"  
  
Alexia hated the fact that her friend had this uncanny ability to be right sometimes. "You're asking if I'm willing to sacrifice Gerry's future, as well as the future of Alexandria and the Titans, just for something you consider as physical attraction?"  
  
Sighing, "I know it might run deeper than that, Alexia. However, you two just met. He wouldn't have noticed you in the first place if you were butt-ugly."  
  
"You're not making this better by flattering me."  
  
"That wasn't a compliment."  
  
"F-you."   
  
Janice grinned, placing a sisterly arm around Alexia. "I'm just jokin' with ya, girlfriend. You know you gorgeous."   
  
Alexia could never stay pissed at her soul sister. She shrugged off her friend, and hugged herself as she began to pace. Smiling at Janice, despite feeling awful, "I know, but I still feel like shit over the truth in your rant."  
  
"Can't say that I wasn't honest with you."  
  
A silence fell on the two young women. The quietness became uneasy for Janice, though, as she watched her best friend's movements. She knew it only too well. Alexia was in her deep thinking mode. Lord only knows what was brewing in that wicked little brain of hers.  
  
"Alex? What're you thinking?" Laughing lightly and nervously, "I… uh, don't like that look of concentration of yours."  
  
Suddenly, a light bulb seemed to have turned on for Alexia. Her face lit up as she faced Janice with a mind-blowing idea. "I can save his life!"  
  
"What?!"   
  
"Think about it, Jan. Remember in the movie? Gerry had gotten into an automobile accident! We can save his football career! Not to mention forewarn him of that drunk driver that ultimately killed him."  
  
"NO!" Cried Janice. She shook her friend, wanting to snap that idea bubble of hers. "Forget it, Al! No way in heaven and hell will I let you do such a thing!"  
  
"Why not?" She whined, almost near tears at the thought of Gerry helpless in a wheelchair and then buried six feet under years later.  
  
"We are not here to change history, Alexia Crowe! If it was supposed to happen, it *must* happen!"  
  
"Well why were we sent here then, huh? Why?! Why this certain date and time? Why not during the eighty's? How about during the Civil War? Why this *place*? Why not New York? Seattle? France?! Why September of nineteen seventy-one, in Alexandria, Virginia?"  
  
"I don't know why, Al!" Janice replied, throwing her hands up in frustration. In a more calm voice, "But I do know that it would be time suicide if we change history. We can't, Alexia."   
  
She saw that this was tearing her friend up inside. This Gerry really had some affect on Alexia, and it shone in her eyes and smile. Even the way she talked about him showed Janice just how much Alexia was falling for the football hero. Janice reached up to wipe the fresh tears of defeat on Alexia's face.  
  
"I'm sorry, Al, but you know I'm right." She grabbed her friend, pulling her in for a big comforting hug. "It's just too dangerous for us to tamper with time, no matter how good your intentions are. I'm sorry for making you give up what could be the true love of your life. It's too bad that he lives in another lifetime."  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
He stood outside the stadium, waiting patiently for her. Upon the sounds of footsteps, he gazed behind him and saw her.  
  
"Hey there." She smiled shyly at him.  
  
"Hey there yourself." He replied, equally as shy.  
  
Alexia glanced at Janice, who nodded. Janice walked past her, and up to Gerry. She stopped in front of him, indicating him to lean in closer. Whispering to him, "My sister here has really fallen for you, Gerry. Despite what happens, know that, okay?"  
  
The message sounded cryptic to him, but he nodded, glowing in the fact that he has the approval of Alexia's closest friend. To her, "I won't hurt her, Janice, if that's what you're worried about. I'm starting to fall for her too."  
  
Sadly, giving him a gentle hug, "Yeah, I know. Good-bye, Gerry." With that, she walked away know that it would be the last time she'd see Alexia and Gerry together.  
  
"See ya, Janice." He called out to her, unaware about everything except Alexia. Gerry turned to the girl that had managed to capture his heart, softly reaching out to her.  
  
As she walked into his arms, she forced herself not to cry. Not to break down right in front of him.   
  
Gerry immediately sensed that something was wrong. Looking at her with concerned eyes, "Lexi? Are you okay?"  
  
She gazed up at him, her eyes brimming, "Of course. I'm just tired."  
  
Regarding her carefully, "Why are you lying to me?"  
  
Alexia steadied herself, practically on the brink of telling him everything. She opened her mouth, about to say give way to the truth, when…  
  
"Hey you two!"  
  
They turned towards the voice, seeing Janice holding a camera in her hands. Beaming proudly at them, "Let me make some memories, okay?"  
  
Gerry glanced at Alexia as she nodded in approval. He held her close as he smiled into the camera. Alexia quickly wiped her eyes, forcing a smile on her face.  
  
"C'mon you two… look like you're in love. I know that won't be too hard to fake." Janice joked. "Count of three, say 'Cheese'." Holding up one hand, "One… two… three…"  
  
"Cheese!" They both said as the light flashed upon their frozen memory.  
  
Gerry watched as the camera quickly developed the picture after the photo was immediately taken. "Wow, what kind of camera is that?"  
  
Smiling sheepishly at him, Janice replied, "It's a new model back home. Now I'm going to take another one, okay? Ready?"  
  
He nodded, still holding Alexia tight.  
  
"One… two… smile!"  
  
Once the second photograph was taken, Janice approached them. Handing one each, she said, "Can't say that I didn't get you two nothing. A keepsake worth two lifetimes."  
  
"Thanks, Janice." Gerry replied, gazing appreciatively at the picture.   
  
"You're a brave one, Jan. Taking such a *time*-less photo like this." Alexia said, giving her friend this look.   
  
Janice just shrugged, answering cryptically, "Hey, gotta take a risk sometime in my life."   
  
The two smiled at her as Janice turned and left. Gerry slid the photo into his back pocket, mentally reminding himself that it was there. Lifting Alexia's chin, he planted a soft kiss on her lips.  
  
When he did that, Alexia felt time stand still… and knowing that brought her back to her harsh reality. She pulled back, looking up at him with the saddest eyes ever.  
  
"Alexia?" He asked, fear twisting in his stomach. He didn't like the look that she was giving him. For the look said that she has to leave and she might not ever see him again.  
  
"Please know that you've forever changed my life. Know that you didn't do anything wrong… that I have no other choice."  
  
"Lexi…" He began. He gripped her arm, afraid to let her go. "Alexia, don't do what I think you're going to do."  
  
"I have to." She gulped back her sob. With her own heart breaking, she reached up to give him one last kiss good-bye, bittersweet and passionate. "Good-bye, Bertier." She hugged him, then released him and running into the rising darkness of the evening sun.  
  
He stood there, stunned for a brief moment. Suddenly he cried out to her, breaking into a run. Gerry watched as she hopped into a car, and drove off and away from sight.  
  
It was Julius and Alan who physically kept him from chasing after her.  
  
"Let her go, man." Julius said, trying to calm him down.  
  
"I have to see her! I have to know why she can't stay with me!" Gerry cried, feeling like he was going to break down right there and then.  
  
"She just can't, Gerry." Said Alan. "I know that this sounds weird, but I have this feeling like she can't. No matter how much she wanted to, she just couldn't."  
  
Finally, Gerry began to let his defenses fall. Nodding wearily, "I know. I could feel it too… and I saw it in her eyes. Even if I prayed hard enough, she can't ever stay."  
  
Gerry gave his friends a tired smile. Slightly pushing them, he began to walk and away from them.   
  
However, his teammates seemed to have something different in mind.  
  
"Oh no you don't, Bertier." Called out Lewie.   
  
Julius jogged up to Gerry, practically shoving towards their direction. "Gerry, we ain't gonna let you deal with this alone. You're our brother, and you're in pain. You're stuck with us."  
  
Despite his own heartache, Gerry began to smile brightly at them. "And knowing that should make me feel better?"  
  
"Fellas… I feel a song coming up!" Proclaimed Blue.   
  
"Guys, no." Gerry shook his head, yet still smiling.  
  
"Listen baby…" Lewie began.  
  
Sighing, Gerry rolled his eyes, yet still grinning despite it all as he indulged the harmonious sound of his teammates.  
  
"Ain't no mountain high enough/ ain't no valley low enough/ ain't no river wide enough/ to keep me from getting to you babe…"  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
"Can I ask you a simple little question, Jan?"  
  
Janice, with her eyes on the road, "Sure, Al."  
  
"How are we exactly getting home? Back to Maui that is?" Alexia asked, tired and half asleep in the passenger seat.  
  
"Easy." Her friend grinned this knowing grin.  
  
"Explain."  
  
"At about the exact same time we arrived here, we just go through the exact same place we arrived here and we should find like some sort of time hole. Just drive through it and *BAM*! We is island drivin'!" She said, beaming proudly at herself.  
  
Alexia just gave her this incredulous look before uttering, "Dork." She lulled her head to the side, staring outside into the closing night. She finally spoke up with, "So where are we going exactly?"  
  
"I'm finding us a rest spot for the night. We're going to sleep in the car for tonight. I just have to find a good place that was far away from the chances of Bertier ever finding you."  
  
"Uh-huh." She replied. Silence then fell, until… "So at about what time tomorrow do we return back to the stadium parking lot to find that quote-unquote sort of time hole?"  
  
"Just check the time in which our watches stopped at. Didn't you see Stephan King's The Langoliers with me?"  
  
"But we're not piloting a plane, girlie." She pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, but I also heard on the local news that there's a storm a coming to Alexandria."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So…" Began her scientific friend, "So if it's anything like the storm we had last drove through on Maui, I'm guessing that in this situation, lightening *will* strike twice!"  
  
Alexia nodded wearily, yet still aware of the insaneness of Janice's plan. However, she was too tired to argue with her about the stupidity of it. Instead she said, "Sounds easy enough."  
  
Glancing at her friend, knowing her well enough, "You're just saying that because you're too wiped out to prove my short comings."  
  
"Damn straight I am." She mumbled, closing her eyes and slowly falling asleep. "But wait in the morning…"  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
It was good thing that she slept so early and before Janice. At what she figured as around one in the morning, as quietly as she could, she rummaged through the back of the car to find a piece of paper and pen. When she struck gold, she turned on the mirror light and began writing.  
  
When she was through, and wrote what she needed to write, Alexia quickly hid the letter in her jacket. She vowed that tomorrow, before she left, Gerry will know the truth… despite the consequences.  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
THE NEXT AFTERNOON  
  
Bertier swore to himself that if he ever survives *all* of Boone's boot camp practices, he would join the priesthood. Damn near miracle to come out of the practice unscathed!  
  
He slowly followed his teammates, not caring if he took his sweet time walking back to the lockers to change. Gerry gazed up at the sky, noticing an army of black clouds surrounding the area. Looks like there's gonna be a heavy storm.   
  
"Gerry! Hey Gerry!"  
  
Gerry turned around, seeing Bill Yoast's daughter, Sheryl, running up to him. The energetic nine-year old waved a letter at him. "Gerry! This is for you."  
  
He smiled down at the little girl, "Thanks Sheryl." Looking at it, "Who's it from?"  
  
"I don't know," she shrugged. Indicating towards the walls outside of the stadium, "Probably that same girl who gave it to me to give to you."  
  
Gerry's heart dropped, "What girl?"   
  
Giving him another shrug, "Just some girl."  
  
He knelt down to her level, "Sheryl, this is important." Looking at her with serious eyes, "What did she look like?"  
  
"Well, she had black hair." She said, hoping that it would help him. "I don't know, Gerry! She looks like any other girl around your age. Except that she wasn't wearing the type of clothes that they wear."  
  
His spirit began to rise, a smile beginning to appear, "When she gave this letter to you, Sheryl, was she with another girl just like her? Except her hair was brown and a bit longer?"  
  
"Yeah. That's her!" Sheryl proclaimed.  
  
Despite his aching back, Gerry swooped Sheryl up into a huge bear hug. "You're an angel, Sheryl!"  
  
"Bertier! What's going on here?"   
  
Gerry immediately placed Sheryl down at the mere bark of the assistant coach. He smiled sheepishly at Bill Yoast, nodding at him apologetically. "Sorry, sir. I just need to run this quick little errand before I hit the showers." To Sheryl, "I owe you big time, Sheryl."  
  
"Bertier!" Shouted Yoast. He watched, extremely confused, as the young man bolted his way out the stadium. To his daughter, "Should I even know?"  
  
Smiling innocently at her father, "Maybe not, coach."  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
Never would Gerry have believed what just happened in a million years if he hadn't seen it with his own two eyes.   
  
As he raced outside to catch Alexia, the dark sky began to shudder a low rumble. Once on the parking grounds, his eyes caught the most beautiful sight he could ask for.  
  
"Alexia!" He cried, waving frantically for her to look his way. He called her name again, but found that his voice had to fight against the thunderous sound of the upcoming storm. Strange thing though, it seemed as if the storm itself began to focus all its energy on that one spot in the parking lot where Alexia was.  
  
"Alexia!" He shouted, praying for her to look his way. Suddenly, the unbelievable happened.  
  
The clouds began to swarm around that one spot, the sound becoming deafening. The wind kicked up and the rain began to pour. Gerry fought to stay in his place. Instantly, with no warning, an immense lightening bolt struck down on Alexia's car, sending a blinding flash all around. Gerry became blinded by the flash, but had seen clearly what had happened to Alexia's care.  
  
He screamed out her name, picking himself up, forcing himself to find her. Non-the-less he became stunned to find that once the blinding light lifted, the storm wasn't the only thing that vanished from sight.  
  
Gerry blinked his eyes a couple of times, rubbing them clear. He checked all over, totally disbelieving what had happened. Gazing up at the sky, he only saw immense cloudless blue. Gazing at the parking lot, he only regarded its emptiness.  
  
She was gone, his heart whispered. Yes she was, his mind agreed. And you're going to miss her terribly, his soul cried. Indeed Gerry was. He crumbled the piece of paper in his hand, and then folded it up into his pocket.  
  
Suddenly, he remembered the importance of that letter. Knowing that, he quickly reached for it, and began reading it:  
  
"Dear Gerry,  
  
"I hate writing letters. But I have to write this one to you. To let you know the truth on why I can't stay. Believe it or not, I'm not of your time. I'm from the future. Yes, the FUTURE. Weird huh? You don't have to believe me, for I wouldn't believe it either. But I am. And I know things about you that I don't want to know. But despite all else, I have to say it. I can't lose you. I don't want to lose you… so please believe me when I say what I have to say. For it might very well mean your life…"  
  
============================================================================================================================================  
  
TIME: Present Day (next day after the storm) 2001  
PLACE: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii  
  
"Hey!"   
  
Alexia quickly covered her head with her pillows. She recognized that voice and wanted nothing to do with it.  
  
"Hey, Sleeping beauty!"   
  
"Go away, Jan!" She moaned, covering herself more with her blanket.  
  
"Can't do that, girlfriend." Her extra sunny friend smiled, lifting the covers off her.  
  
"Get out of my room, bitch!" She cried, shoving Janice away.  
  
"My, my, my. Get up on the wrong side of the bed, did we?" Janice clucked her tongue, still teasing. She strained her ears as she heard Alexia mumble something. "What did you say?"  
  
"Nothing!" she replied.  
  
"Liar!" She retaliated. "C'mon, pal," Janice sat down on the foot of Alexia's bed, "Tell me, tell me, tell me."  
  
"I said, 'he's dead.'" She looked up at Janice with such sad eyes that it practically tore her friend apart to have to see them.  
  
"Well sweetie… of course he did. Don't you remember? He had to die just like history meant it." She then added, "I'm glad you decided to be an adult and not change history, Al. I am so proud of you, girl!" Janice swooped her friend up for a hug.  
  
However, as she did so, she noticed just how tense Alexia became. Knowing her like the back of her hand, she gazed into her friend's eyes and became very uneasy. Suddenly, something clicked. "You didn't."  
  
Nodding sadly, "I did."  
  
Knocking her back onto the bed, "What?! How?!"  
  
Sniffing, "Well, when you were sleeping, I wrote him a note. I told him everything."  
  
"After I told you not to?!"  
  
"Yes." She replied meekly.  
  
"Oh my Lord! Alexia! How could you?!"  
  
"I had to, Jan!" Alexia moaned, sinking deeper into depression. She then watched as her friend began to pace nervously back and forth. "Oh don't worry, Jan. It didn't work anyway."  
  
"You prevented his death!"  
  
"No I didn't." she sighed. Alexia reached for her VCR remote, turning the TV on. "If I did," she turned on the part in "Remember the Titans" where the epilogue spoke of Gerry's death. "Then Gerry wouldn't have died. I even talked about his accident that left would leave him paralyze from the waist down… he still gets into that accident." Turning off the TV, sinking her head into her pillows, "I didn't change a damn thing!"  
  
"Wonder what happened then when he read your letter?" Janice asked out loud, just as confused. "I mean, if history is still in tact, then what really happened?"  
  
*KNOCK, KNOCK*  
  
"Alexia, honey?"  
  
Glancing up at her mother as she poked her head in her daughter's room, "Yes, mom?"  
  
"You have a visitor, sweetheart. A young man."   
  
Alexia perked up, looking up at Janice. Janice just shrugged, just as curious.   
  
"Send him in, mom." She said, quickly grabbing her robe and tying it on.  
  
As the young man entered the room, Alexia and Janice held back a gasp.   
  
"Hi," he said, acknowledging both ladies. "Is one of you Alexia?"  
  
Raising a shy hand, "I'm Alexia."  
  
Giving her a shy smile, actor Ryan Hurst beamed at the young lady. "My name's Ryan…" Pulling out an envelope, "And I believe this is for you."  
  
As she took the letter from his hands, Ryan continued with, "It's kind of interesting, actually. As soon as I was cast for the role of Gerry Bertier, I was given these instructions to follow. It was from the real Mr. Bertier himself."  
  
"Really?" Janice replied, a bit stunned.   
  
Alexia sat herself down, staring numbly at the letter while Ryan began to explain the rest of his story.   
  
"Yeah. It said that when the following date he instructed arrived, I was to get on a plane to Hawaii and to find the person whose name was on the letter. He paid for everything." He smiled at the young woman, "Everyone wants to know the mystery woman herself. None of the real Titans that knew Gerry would say a single word about who 'Alexia' was. Seemed like a good enough secret for everyone to keep talking about on set." Ryan chuckled to himself, adding, "Everyone wants me to contact them as soon as I delivered his letter."  
  
Janice noticed that Alexia had yet to remove her gaze from the letter. To Ryan, "Y'know, let's step outside for a while, okay? I think she needs to read the letter alone."  
  
Nodding understandingly, "Of course." To Alexia, "Y'know, the real Julius did say that Gerry thought 'Alexia' was the most beautiful woman he's ever meet. Inside and out." Shyly, "Surely fits you to a T."  
  
Startled by his departing words, Alexia finally looked up and at Ryan. Giving him a kind smile, she whispered, "Thank you, Ryan."  
  
He nodded at her, while Janice pulled him gently out the door with her.   
  
Once left in her solitude, Alexia's shaky hands began to open the letter. As she read it, her heart raced into overtime. She took in every word, every single emotion placed into his letter. When she was done, Alexia hugged the piece of paper and began to weep openly. Never has she been so happy, so sad, and so loved in her whole entire life.  
  
Janice and Ryan both stepped into the room, concerned as they heard Alexia weeping.   
  
"Al? Alexia? What's wrong? What did he say?" Janice asked, making her way over to her.  
  
"Alexia?" Ryan slowly stepped in, a bit cautious and concerned at the same time. He hardly knew this girl, but he knew her enough to realize that he didn't want to see someone as sweet as her cry.  
  
Alexia didn't say a word. Instead, she held up the letter, letting it speak for itself. As they both read it, they clearly understood her tears.  
  
"Dear Alexia,  
  
"You must know by now that I couldn't change my future, no matter how much we both wanted to. Also know that just like I couldn't change my future, I could never change my feelings for you. As each day goes by, I found myself loving you even more. Most of my life, I had lived and shall live it as if you never existed… but that you didn't exist in my life is not true. You're in my heart. And when I die, I will watch over my angel. You have changed me, Alexia. And ain't no time and space long enough that will change how much I love you. When you remember the Titans, remember me. When you remember me, know that it's okay to love someone. Even if they are from another lifetime… because love can last that long as well, if not, 'til the death of forever."  
  
"Love, Gerry Bertier."  
  
===================================================================================================================================  
  
THE END!  
  
Okay, if ya made it all the way to the end, the story must not be that bad for people to still be interested enough to read til the end. If you did, thank you. If you didn't, then why are you reading this part? Thanks for at least considering reading the story. Again, I know it's a fluff piece, I admit it! But I was bored and I loved that movie, so there! Please R&R and have good evening/day! 


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